66 the students got fewer errors, they could build their awareness on the use of past
tense and thus could produce better writing. The stud ents’ increasing awareness and
attentiveness on the use of correct grammar are supported by score difference between the students’ pre and post scaffolding learning writing products. In the post
scaffolding learning writing products, the students’ average score on the use of correct grammar is 2.5 points higher than their former average score. The detailed
scoring is presented in Appendix 13.Eventually, as the students moved to the higher level of understanding, the tutor gradually withdrew the assistance in the learning
process.
c. Vocabulary
Next, the researcher would like to present the extent to which scaffolding as an instructional strategy could help the students master appropriate vocabulary use.
Teaching vocabulary or diction seemed to be the hardest one. It actually cannot be taught, but it needs to be practiced. Therefore, vocabulary was not included in the
teaching material. It was included mainly in the revision time. The type of scaffolding verifying and clarifying students’ understanding worked most on this
part. Although it was not included in the three-meeting offering explanation,
most of the students got the vocabulary choosing quite well. The common misuse of vocabulary happened when some students wanted to write “In the beginning of
the month…” One of the examples is Student 21. In the first draft, the student wrote “In the first of this month…” The common mistake happened in the use of word
“first” instead of “beginning”. However, the students who misused the word
67 successfully avoid the same error in the second draft or after getting feedback from
the tutor. Another example is evident for Student 19. In the first draft, the student
made some errors in choosing correct diction. The table below shows what the student wrote in the first draft and what the student wrote in the second draft after
some feedback and explanation from the tutor.
Std First Draft
Second Draft
19 When I was in elementary
school, I thought that God was not justice to me.
When I was in elementary school, I thought that God was not fair to me.
I was made illusion if I became so tall.
I was imagining if I became so tall.
My friend said to me that every person had shortcoming and
overbalance. My friend said to me that every person
had shortcoming and overbalance.
Firstly, the tutor found it difficult to guess the meaning that the student was going to say. Then, the tutor asked for clarification from the student. After that, the
tutor gave some feedback. Even though the tutor already understood what the student was going to say in the story, the tutor did not directly provide the correct
diction. The tutor only provided some clues to find the appropriate diction. However, in the second draft, the student made some improvement. From the three
incorrect dictions, the student could revise two of them. Despite of the wrong tense, the student could be more aware of choosing appropriate vocabulary. Then, in the
third draft, the student could revise the third sentence above. The student wrote, “My friend said to me that every person has strength and weakness.” The
improvement happened in most of the students. Being given some clues from the Table 4.5 Student 19
’s Sentences Written in First and Second Draft
68 tutor in the first draft, the students became more attentive in choosing correct
vocabulary. Their attentiveness on using appropriate vocabulary is also shown by the score difference between the students’ pre and post scaffolding learning writing
products. In the post scaffolding learning writing products, the students’ average score on the use of vocabulary use is 1.9 points higher than their former average
score. The detailed scoring is presented in Appendix 14. Eventually, finding that the students become more aware of choosing appropriate vocabulary, the tutor
gradually withdrew the clues or the assistance.
d. Spelling and Punctuation
